Wild Horse Population Control Discussed in D.C. This Week

For the first time in more than a decade the National Academy of Sciences will provide some management recommendations for people who deal with wild horses in the west.

Wild horse holding facilities like this one outside Reno are at their limit, adoptions are down and the number wild horses keeps growing according to the Bureau of Land Management. The National Academy of Sciences issued a 384-page report in June to solve some of the problems. This week wild horse managers are in Washington to hear from scientists about fertility management, horse population and social controversy. One controversy is consideration of the horse as invasive species. National Wild Horse and Burro Specialist, Debbie Collins says even if the horse is invasive, it will be protected.

“The way we look at it any animal that is protected by the wild horse and burro act is what we are going to take care of weather they call it feral, invasive, whatever we are there to protect animals that are on our designated public lands,” said Collins.

The National Academy of Sciences report suggests that BLM improve population estimates, apply science to management decisions and give chemical vasectomies to large numbers of horses to reduce the population on the range.